Slacker wrote:Mike: Interesting that the PP 500m intervals are on 3:30 rest and the BPP is on 2min rest. Must be to keep us newbies from trying to go too fast, but it's the same all the way thru the end of the BPP. So, I'm not really sure why it is that way, but that's what the plan says.
Glenn: It was more than just what the target pace should be. More thoughts about how to row a 500m (pacing strategy and rates). Maybe just be because I'm new and haven't done many of these. If I rate low I'm sure my legs will give out at some point, but when I try to rate up but maintain pace, I feel that get out of breathe very quickly. Still working on that balance. Most of these I started quickly and then tapered to try and settle out on a target, but the last one I started slow and built up to the average in the first 15 seconds or so and then held steady for the rest of the distance.
I may be jumping (with a long reply) into a conversation that you have found the answer to. I think there is a difference between rowing a 500 on its own and rowing one in an interval session. On its own its balls to the wall and rating as fast as you can until the finish. There is a little pacing strategy in it, but most seem to just go as hard as can and actually positive split or "fly and die".
The 500 intervals, however, have the reality of having to do more than one and also having to recover between them. So pacing in terms of the pace you set out to do on each interval as well as pacing across all the intervals comes into play. So when I mentioned to do the next ones at your average of this past one, I was referring to how we do it in the Pete Plan. It gives you a pace target that is doable - especially since you had so much left in the tank.
Most of us flat pace across intervals or drop a little each time. But I think probably the best way to do it is to keep a steady pace on each of the intervals and then hit the last one or two with more gusto. This will reset your average for the next time and make you feel like a champ. The key, I think, is to do all of them so that you are getting volume at a fast pace. You don't want to short change yourself by thinking that you need to go too hard and then hit a wall. Some of us might be getting to a point where we can put ourselves on the line a little more, but that is because we have done lots of them and know what to expect or have other indications that it might be possible. Or because we need to kick ourselves in the butt every now and again.
In terms of each 500 within an interval session, I tend to crank the first 15-20 strokes at a decent clip and then settle in for the rest of the interval. In reality, I sort of positive split them because I allow the average pace to come up from the beginning blast and I usually have an average pace in mind from the beginning. It creates a sort of table looking pace graph where the beginning is fast, the middle less fast and the end fast again. This is not ideal per se and probably wrong, but it is what I've always done (I like getting into each interval a little aggressively from a mind set standpoint and 500's are fairly short and I don't want to get too far behind).
You might find that flat or a little negative works best for you and if so, I would use that. In fact its probably more correct to do it that way. I also try to pick a rate goal at the beginning that matches proportionally with a pace target so that the stroke feels the same from one pace to the next and ideally the same when I am doing a 2K. I am not sure that it really does, but many have said it does, so I go with it. However, as I get to the last few and my legs are getting tired, I up the rate (probably unintentionally) to stay on pace rather than blowing up or losing pace. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what to rate at but I would use the next interval session to explore that a little. I do think that building a strong stroke is important, so I wouldn't go crazy with rate while you are learning about yourself. I am going a little high at the moment, but I am searching for some more speed right now and I'm testing my fitness to handle the rate. Usually I would be trying to use a heavier stroke to build power. And you are right, lower hits the legs more and higher hits the lungs more. You need to find your balance based on your fitness and power. Hopefully a real erger will chime in and give you better or more direct advice than this!
) still a big issue.
Nice!
